Al-Maliki Warns of ‘Grave Danger’ if Iraq’s Elections Are Delayed

ERBIL (Kurdistan24) – In an address that underscored the high stakes of Iraq's upcoming parliamentary elections, former Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki on Sunday issued a stark warning of "grave danger" should the vote not be held on its constitutionally scheduled date. The influential head of the State of Law Coalition framed the elections as a "fundamental pillar" of the nation's fragile democracy, a bulwark against a return to dictatorship and sectarianism, and the only legitimate mechanism for keeping or changing the government, as he called upon the country's youth to be the vanguards of the political process.

"Everyone must realize the magnitude of the grave danger if the elections are not held on their scheduled date," al-Maliki declared in a speech monitored by the Baghdad Today news agency. His remarks come at a critical juncture for Iraq, as the country prepares for a pivotal election on November 11 amid a landscape of deep political fractures, intense external pressures, and persistent public disillusionment.

"We, along with other political forces and parties, have strongly insisted on holding the elections on their scheduled date," he affirmed, positioning himself and his allies as staunch defenders of the constitutional order.

Al-Maliki, a dominant figure in Iraqi politics for nearly two decades, portrayed the electoral process as the lifeblood of the post-2003 political system.

"Elections are a mechanism for renewal, and democracy and the political process are meaningless without them," he stated, emphasizing that they are "the gateway through which the government and parliament are formed, and the process of legislating laws that regulate political and social life begins."

In a pointed rejection of any potential extra-constitutional power arrangements, he added, "There is nothing in the constitution under the name of an 'emergency government' or 'caretaker government.'"

The former premier’s insistence on holding the elections on schedule is particularly significant given earlier reports that he himself had explored the possibility of a delay.

As previously reported by Kurdistan24 in March, sources close to the Shiite Coordination Framework, of which al-Maliki is a senior leader, claimed he had argued that proceeding with elections under the then-unfavorable political climate would be tantamount to "political suicide" for many factions within the coalition.

His strong public pivot now to championing the timely holding of the vote suggests a significant shift in the political calculus, likely driven by the evolving dynamics within the powerful Shiite bloc and the broader national landscape.

In his speech, al-Maliki cast the upcoming vote as a decisive battle against the dark tides of Iraq's recent past.

"Through elections, we will close the door on dictatorship, racism, and sectarianism," he proclaimed. "The issue of excluding and marginalizing components will end, and everyone will get their due based on their performance on the ground."

He invoked the memory of the Ba'athist regime and the subsequent years of insurgency, stating that "today's Iraq is not the Iraq of the Ba'ath, mass graves, sectarianism, terrorism, murder, wars, and adventurism."

He added that "the elections will eliminate the bad tide of killing and terrorism," recalling the efforts of tribes and security forces to break the siege on Baghdad when it was "held captive by car bombs and rockets."

The run-up to the November 11 election has been fraught with challenges that threaten to undermine its credibility.

The political arena is roiled by a major dispute over the "de-Baathification" of candidates, with hundreds facing potential disqualification over alleged ties to the former regime, a controversy that has pitted al-Maliki against his rival, Prime Minister Mohammed Shia al-Sudani.

Al-Maliki has intensified his warnings about Baathist infiltration, while critics accuse him of using the de-Baathification process to target his political opponents.

Furthermore, the integrity of the vote is under a cloud of deep-seated concerns about electoral malpractice. Senior Kurdistan Democratic Party (KDP) official Hoshyar Zebari recently warned that the elections risk being fraudulent, citing the misuse of state resources, the funneling of massive sums to candidates, and the widespread practice of "buying voter cards from citizens."

The distribution of food and other forms of patronage by candidates has also drawn condemnation from observers who see it as a "belittling" of the Iraqi electorate.

Against this complex backdrop, Iraq's Independent High Electoral Commission (IHEC) has been moving forward with extensive technical and logistical preparations.

According to IHEC spokesperson Jumana Ghalai, a total of 31 political alliances, 38 parties, and 79 independent candidates have officially registered to participate. The commission has also been trialing new voting technology, including facial recognition, to overcome the persistent problem of fingerprint scanner failures that plagued past elections.

Al-Maliki, in his address, appeared to acknowledge the public's skepticism but urged a high turnout, framing it as a national duty. He predicted that the upcoming elections "will be distinguished from previous ones by a higher number of participants," and stressed that voting is a "legitimate, national, and moral responsibility, and one must vote with their conscience and choose the best."

He placed a special emphasis on the role of the country's youth, whom he described as "the fundamental pillars of the electoral process, and of renewal and development."

The election also unfolds amidst significant external pressures, particularly from the United States, which has been pushing Baghdad to curb the influence of Iran-backed militias, including the Popular Mobilization Forces (PMF).

Al-Maliki has been a staunch defender of the PMF, publicly declaring that it "will never be dismantled" and rejecting U.S. proposals to merge it into the army. This issue is expected to be a major and polarizing theme on the campaign trail, further shaping the complex electoral dynamics.

In his concluding remarks, al-Maliki returned to his central theme: the absolute primacy of the electoral process as the sole legitimate arbiter of power in Iraq. "Keeping or changing the government is done through elections and parliament," he declared, "in order to build a successful political process and a developed nation."

Al-Maliki’s address, combining stark warnings with appeals to nationalism, underscores the ongoing fragility and disputes surrounding Iraq’s democracy as the country approaches a potentially pivotal vote.